1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for scraping snow, ice and other debris from the sole of a ski boot before the boot is inserted into the binding of a ski.
2. Statement of the Problem
In order for a skier's boot to properly lock into the ski binding, the sole of the boot must be clean of any snow, ice or debris. If the boot sole is not clean, then either the boot will not properly lock in the binding or the boot will become snow-locked in the ski binding. Should the boot become snow-locked, it may not release upon the skier falling thus resulting in injury to the skier.
The most common way of cleaning off ski boot soles is by manually scraping with a ski pole or by hand. This method is awkward and inconvenient, particularly when the skis have come off on a downhill slope.
Other ways include portable boot scrapers and ski-mounted scrapers. Portable scrapers require the carrying around of the scraper and are cumbersome and awkward to use. The current invention is concerned with the latter method of mounting a scraper directly onto the skis. There have been several attempts in the past to mount such devices directly onto the skis.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,284,091 discloses a ski-boot scraper mounted on a ski wherein the scraper is a rigid flat molded plastic bar with an upstanding axially elongated flange which is resistant to flexing. The scraper is mounted angularly relative to the longitudinal axis of the ski.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,518 discloses a ski-boot scraper mounted on a ski wherein the scraper is an elongated member having a series of spaced V-shaped sections upwardly projecting from the member to scrape the boot on. The scraper also comprises an upwardly extending crown piece to assist in controlling the ski during the scraping operation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,976,303 and 3,976,304 disclose a ski-boot scraper mounted onto a ski wherein the scraper is a upwardly extending device having a smaller base than the upper part of the scraper.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,773 discloses a ski-boot scraper comprising an upwardly extending rigid flange diagonally mounted on the ski.
U.S. design patent 213,906 discloses an ornamental design for a snow scraper wherein the scraper is apparently a rectangular box-shaped structure with diagonal grooves on its upper surface.
U.S. design patent 247,415 discloses an ornamental design for a snow scraper comprising a plurality of upstanding triangular edges.
French document 2,247,264 discloses an ski-boot scraper comprising an inverted T-shape with a toothed web in its upper surface.
The German Offenlegungsschrift 25 14 632 discloses a boot scraper comprising a device with slanted sides having either a grid surface or a plurality of elongated channels fixed longitudinally on the ski. The scraper can either be mounted by screws or by an adhesive pad.
The German offenlegungsschrift 24 50 096 discloses a ski-boot scraper comprising a plate having a number of serrations mounted on a ski so that the serrations are diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the ski.
The German Offenlegungsschrift 26 07 760 discloses a ski-boot scraper comprising a circular body having a number of upstanding scraping edges attached to the ski either by screws or adhesive.
The German Offenlegungsschrift 26 48 415 discloses a snow scraper comprising a triangular rail mounted onto the ski.
The Swiss Patentschrift 637,841 discloses a snow scraper comprising an upstanding edge mounted at an angle to the ski.
There are several problems associated with the prior attempts at mounting a ski-boot scraper onto a ski. A ski must be able to freely flex about the axes generally parallel to its longitudinal axis in order to perform as designed. The known mounted ski-boot scrapers reduce the capacity of the ski to flex thus reducing the performance and safety aspects of the ski.
Another problem associated with the prior ski-boot scrapers is the relatively high profile and sharp edges of the scrapers. This creates an injurious situation to the skier should a skier fall occur. Also, the skis have a tendency to lock together on the scrapers when the skis cross each other.
The prior ski-boot scrapers were generally made from materials which becomes hard and brittle in the cold temperatures encountered during winter skiing. This creates even more stiffness in the flexibility of the ski as well as adding to the possibility of skier injury should the skier fall on the scraper.
The scrapers of the prior art devices fail to provide adequate channeling of the debris removed from the boot sole. The scraper channels of the prior art tend to become snow packed. This limits the ability of the scrapers to effectively clean the boot sole.
None of the prior devices provide a low-profile flexible ski-boot scraper that will adequately clean ski-boot soles without hindering the performance and safety features of the ski.
Therefore a need exists for a ski-boot scraper mountable on a ski that will enable the skier to clean the bottom of the skier's boot and will not reduce the safety and performance of the ski.
3. Solution to the Problem
The current invention solves these and other problems by providing a ski-mounted ski-boot scraper that is flexible and does not have any sharp edges or corners.
The scraper of the current invention is designed not to interfere with the capacity of the ski to flex or to hinder the performance of the ski.
The scraper of the current invention is a compact low-profile design to reduce the risk of injury to the skier.
The ski-boot scraper of the current invention is formed of a flexible soft material that is capable of enduring extremely low temperatures without becoming hard and brittle.